Wood Heat Thread ~ post pics

Vermont Castings Intrepid coal/wood stove Circa 1982

 

I am looking at the connection of the pipe to the stove. It looks like a press fit. How good a coonection is that?

Is this the stove?
https://www.woodmanspartsplus.com/xref/WoodCoal/VermontCastingsStoves/IntrepidI1302

 

I think I see (maybe) the problem!!!! If that stove pipe is just loosely stuck up in that fireplace flue, then most of your "draw air" is being sucked up the opening around and outside of the woodstove flue pipe. If you could somehow tightly seal the opening around the outside of the stove's flue (remember it has to be with something non-combustible, as that stove flue gets super-hot), I bet your little "Intrepid" would work much better. Any "standard" fireplace opening is always notorious for wasting energy, as they act as a great big vent sucking air out of the house. I know this because we have a standard fireplace in our home and we always have had doors on the opening.
Air when rising, will always follow the path of least resistance -which in this case is around your stove and not through it. When this happens it sucks what heat your stove has put out, right up the chimney, not letting it heat your room.
Check out the design of any fireplace "insert", and you will see they shut off any air flow up the chimney so that all of the chimney draw is restricted to only thru the insert's air intake.

 

And by the way, those are/were very good wood stoves.

 

Agreed.

 

Hey TW,
Could anyone tell me what this stove might be worth?

 

My first guess would be that it's worth its weight in scrap iron.

 

WRONG -- check out various websites that specialize in values of old stoves. Not too many years back I had an old "pot-Belly" stove that I bought at an auction on the 4th of July week (it was 95 f that day) for $5.00. Two years later I sold it for $275.00. Moral of the story- don't sell without thoroughly checking what you have. I actually bought mine to heat my garage and only sold it to get something more efficient.

 

Google the EXACT description of your stove -as you stated in this post, and you will find out what a good stove you have! Now if you could get installed correctly, I am thinking you would be a "happy camper"!
Keep us informed how this comes out - "inquiring minds" want to know -also me to.

 

I have been told many times how good the stove is. And have had an offer of $3000 for it..lol. Works too good, when it works properly, to give up. I'm hoping just a proper lining of the chimney will do it.

 

Yes thats the exact stove. I never noticed that connection. I'll have to check that out more thoroughly....thanks!

 

Does anyone have suggestions on where to buy replacement glass for a stove? Stupid idiot me busted the glass on my stove tonight

Don’t remember the brand of the stove off the top of my head, bought it from northern tool 4-5 years ago. Found some places online and prices seems to be all over the place.

 

You might try a fireplace shop. Have dimensions, they might be able to source the "high temperature ceramic" (not really glass usually).

 

Thanks! It seems most of the places around me either just sell an entire stove or want to do installation and everything and don't just sell parts. I did learn there's different types of 'glass' and that the wood stoves use the high temp ceramic or higher grade. Guess I just need to get the dimensions and find some place online.

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT put regular glass back in. Not even tempered glass. It needs to be the ceramic material used in wood stoves.

 

Definitely! Ordered a custom cut piece from an online company. They called it neoceram ceramic. Supposed to be delivered first of the week and also ordered new screws for the plates that hold the glass since most of them stripped and had to cut them out. Looking forward to getting it all back together

 

I have an old (80s?) Federal Air Tight, Consolidated Dutchwest, by Vermont Castings. FA288CCL I got an original glass from one of the many companies still selling parts for it.

 

Speaking of glass, what do you guys use to clean yours? I've been using a paste by Rutland and it seems to do a good job but it takes a hell of a lot of elbow grease. Is that normal? This is my first winter with a wood stove.

 

I’ve had good luck with acetone. Ammonia also works well.

 

I just used Windex to clean the glass when I had a pellet stove at a place I was renting.